New Parrot Parent...Any Advice

[tastakelin]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum. I posted a couple of questions at the bottom of old threads and got very little response. I appreciate the advice that I received but my questions weren't really addressed. If anyone could help me I would greatly appreciate it.
My husband and I purchased a 5 year old male BFA from a private owner last Thursday. He seems healthy and happy. He has been on a pellet/seed/fruit and nut diet. He does not appear to be thin or fat. We want to incorporate fresh fruit and veggies but we want to make sure we get the low down on what is best for our guy. I have read some things on the internet and know that avocados and mushrooms are no good. What kinds of fruit and veggies would you'll suggest? I also read that parrots should be fed organic due to their sensitivity to pesticides. True??
Also, he's previous owner said bottled water only. True??

He has let me and my husband take him out of his cage, scratch his head, feed him peanuts out of our hands. He is fairly friendly. He always wants to run to our shoulders when we take him out and it is nearly impossibly to stop him. I've read online that this isn't a good thing to let them do. He will step up on a finger or forearm-but then he's high-tailing it to the shoulder ASAP. Then he plays the 'catch me if you can' shoulder to shoulder game when you try to get him down. Any tips?

I've spent some time with him in the afternoons when my husband is working. Two days in a row he has freaked out when my husband got home and started to be very aggressive towards me. He tries to get on my shoulder and when I let him he pecks at my face. If I put my hand on the top of the cage near him, he lunges at me and bites. The person at the exotic pet store said that he probably is seeing my husband as his mate and wants me to get away. That makes sense, although it's saddening and unpleasant to deal with. But then I read something online about them being aggressive towards their mate and bite them to get them to 'go back to the nest'. This would mean that his behavior of snapping at me would be in an act of protections. I'm confused. Does anyone have any input on what this means and how to deal with it? I've heard that amazons usually attach to one person, but we want to equally enjoy him and spend time with him.
Thanks in advance for anyt tips and advice.
Tara

 

[birdcrazy]

Lets see as far as veggies. My guys like Brocolli and cooked green beans. I don't worry about organic I just wash and wash. I'm sure organic is better for us and the birdys if you can afford it though. I think the water depends on where you live. I've fed filtered water before, same as we drank.

I'm sure some other people will come along with suggestions on keeping him off of your shoulder. This is a must if he is nippy. Or enjoys playing hard to get. Sounds like your new guy is starting to get comfortable enough to test the boundaries. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Riley's mom]

Hi and welcome! As far as the veggies go, I don't buy organic. Mine eat all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies. Mine really like the carrot "coins" from Publix. They also get people food.

You are still in the transitional period. It's going to take some time for him to come around to both of you. I really would not let him get in the habit of being on your shoulder. Is he clipped? He very well might consider your husband as being his "mate", and just tolerate you when he is gone. We had the same situation here with a grey. But what helped here was even when my husband was home, I still interacted alot with Sammy and eventually he came around. Sammy was a "man's" bird, so he transferred that to my husband. Amazons are really good birds, but different. I hand raised a orange wing amazon from a breeder in Tampa and to this day, he will only have anything to do with my daughter. He literally bites the hand that feeds him. Good luck and have lots of patience.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

An 'organic' label unfortunately doesn't actually mean anything in most countries. Pesticides would be a concern - both for them and us. But with this handy invention called running water it's not really a concern. Just give everything a wash before eating/serving.



Someone arriving home is an exciting time, perhaps for now he needs to be on/in his cage when your husband arrives. Give him some time to settle down before interacting again. If he does go for your shoulder then bites when your husband is around it most likely is that he sees you as his mate.

Do your husband and the bird (what's his name) spend time together without you there?

 

[tastakelin]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking that this is going to be an expensive proposition if we can only feed organic. Do you guys use veggie wash or just soap and water?
The birds name is Julio. He has his wings clipped. My husband spends time with him too, but I am usually near him when he has Julio. The bird pecks and bites at ME when my husband comes around. He belonged to a man for about 6 months and prior to that, a woman for 4 1/2 years. I wish I could understand for sure what his behaviour means. It does make sense that he is testing boundaries. Like a little kid.
The shoulder thing is going to be tricky because we don't 'put him there', he puts himself there. He runs like a little birdy sprinter.

 

[birdcrazy]

i just wash with regular water - i leave it running for a little while and use the sink sprayer then shake the excess water off.

I know with one of my guys that used to run up shoulders i would practice step up ladder type drills when I first took him out of the cage. bird on hand move the other hand up and say step up several times. and then sit with him on my knee or hand or such. If bird starts running up shoulder move hand and say step up and bring the bird back down. If he is very persistent or makes it to the shoulder or gets agressive at your hands keeping him from it he goes to a play stand or back on cage. The only time he spends with you is going to be on your hands or around you not on shoulder. This is very frustrating and you have to be very consistent. but it helped my guy alot. I hope that made sense.

 

[tastakelin]

Yes, it does make sense, thanks. Today we decided that we will only let him out of his cage if he steps up onto our hands. So far he has refused. He only wants to come out if we let him walk out on his own. We have played with him in the cage throughout the day and pet his head and have given he a couple of treats. Is it ok to let him play on top of his cage? I've read different things about the hight dominance thing. The cage sits about 5 ft tall, so he's pretty high up there.

 

[birdcrazy]

I would let him play as long as he can't get higher than you are when he's up there. Otherwise A lower play stand could be used.

 

[OwnedByRingo]

Hi,

We have the same issue. My Amazon is very aggressive to my girlfriend unless I'm not around, then she is better than nothing. Understanding that there isn't anything in this world that makes him more uncomfortable that being ignored gives you a tool you can use against him when he acts up.

Some of the things I've learned over the years with Ringo is:

First: he is very smart and things will progress on his time. Trust took a lot of work in the beginning.

Second: the only parrot that never bites is a dead parrot. Sooner or later all parrot owners get tagged. Mine has bitten me countless times, usually because my girlfriend has gotten too close while I'm holding him. I think many parrots are abandoned or ignored because eventually they bite their owner and the owner becomes afraid and locks the bird away or gets rid of it.

Third: Ringo acts like a 2 year old all the time and has for the last 10 years. He throws tantrums, harbors grudges and will do just about anything, including screaming, to get the attention he thinks he has coming.

Finally: Ringo is a wonderful pet and companion partly due to the reasons listed above. He has personality, he's a situational talker not just a mimic, and he can be very cuddly and lovey when he wants to be. It saddens me that people who do not have time for a parrot get one because they're cool, or just something interesting to talk about, then ignore them or lock them away. My bird is only caged at bedtime and that's because he wants it that way. I don't have cats or other animals. Ringo is an all or nothing kinda guy.

 

[ScottinVentura]

Second: the only parrot that never bites is a dead parrot. Sooner or later all parrot owners get tagged.

I disagree with this completely, although most parrot owners seem to feel this way. Biting is not a natural parrot behavior, it's something they do when they feel they have no other choice. My parrot bit me once, the first day we met, and it was entirely my fault - I pushed too hard before he trusted me. In all the years since then, he's never bit me. If I'm ignoring him when he's trying to communicate something, he'll clamp down on a thumb nail once in a while, but he isn't trying to damage me, he's trying to send me a message. And he's certainly not doing everything he can with his beak - I've seen him open brazil nuts, he could tear open my finger like a paper bag, if that's what he wanted to do. As it is, he doesn't even leave a bruise, he just gets my attention and gets me to listen the message he's trying to send.

Biting is learned behavior, not instinct. Maybe Boo is an exceptional companion parrot, but parrots in the wild don't draw blood, either.

 

[Beaksandhooves]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking that this is going to be an expensive proposition if we can only feed organic. Do you guys use veggie wash or just soap and water?
The birds name is Julio. He has his wings clipped. My husband spends time with him too, but I am usually near him when he has Julio. The bird pecks and bites at ME when my husband comes around. He belonged to a man for about 6 months and prior to that, a woman for 4 1/2 years. I wish I could understand for sure what his behaviour means. It does make sense that he is testing boundaries. Like a little kid.
The shoulder thing is going to be tricky because we don't 'put him there', he puts himself there. He runs like a little birdy sprinter.

Chocolate, avacodo and peach pits are lethal. Avoid cooking in teflon as well. If it burns, it is fatal to your bird.

In the absence of another bird, the parrot will select a human as a mate. When the bird perceives a threat (another human who may be vying to be your mate,) its response is to bite you to make you fly away to safety. The best intervention for aggressive behavior is trying to avoid setting up a situation for the parrot to be bad. E.g., don;t walk close to your significant other with the bird on your shoulder.

Insofar as the shoulder issue, everytime he climbs up to your shoulder, remove him with a stick. Tell him "up" and let him go on your hand. Hold him there for a minute then go "want to go up?" and put him on your shoulder; e.g., control the situation and make him wait for permission to go to your shoulder.

Best diet is pellets supplemented by a large variety of fruits, veggies, beans.

 

[cnyguy]

Lots of good advice has already been offered. Most fruits and vegetables are fine for an Amazon, with the exceptions noted (onions are also not recommended for parrots). I had a Yellow-crowned Amazon for 40 years; his absolute favorite food was raw green peas. He liked carrots, broccoli, celery, lettuce, green beans and corn too. His favorite fruits were apples (especially Macintosh and Cortland), grapes, peaches, pears and bananas. Variety is important; most parrots get tired of eating the same things every day.

Washing with plain water is usually enough, but a weak solution of apple cider vinegar and water can be used to wash fruits and vegetables.

The tap water where I live is heavily chlorinated, so I use bottled or filtered water for my parrot and myself. I wouldn't drink anything that smells like laundry bleach, as the public water sometimes does here, nor would I expect a parrot to drink it.


In 40 years with Amazon George, I got bit plenty of times; a parrot that never bites is a rare treasure! I never dealt with the shoulder-perching issue, because George would never sit anywhere but on my lower arm-- and that for only a short time. Since I'm not made of wood, I guess George thought I wasn't a suitable perch.

 

[cindyluhoo]

My African grey loves red grapes. Apples, bananas are good. We gave him for the first time Mango that was not really ripe, it was sweet but tart but he loved it. We have one ripening on the window sill now to get softer and sweeter so I am sure he will even like it more. I give him fresh broccoli, loves peas, carrots but he like them warm and cooked more then fresh. Corn is great and loves potatoes. Did you try eggs yet? Fried, scrambled, and hard boiled. My vet recommened me to give him high protein choices because of the feathers are protein and they need that.
About the shoulder issues, my bird also likes to go for the shoulder. Don't make a huge deal about him going to the shoulder, he may like the response. But they say they feel dominent when they are above you. I avoid the shoulder as much as I can. It's like he wants to be close to you but gets nervous then likes to bite the ears or pulls the hair. I am a new parrot owner (1 year now) and I know I have a lot to learn. I am dealing with a huge issue with Rocco. He is afraid of me now, won't step up on me, when I approch him, he runs from me and flaps his wings to get away from me. Its been about a month now. I was the "only one" he wanted. He was my buddy. We had a great relationship but now, doesn't want anything to do with me. It has been pretty tough. He will go to my kids and husband though. Before, he didn't want anything to do with them. I hope it won't go on forever like this. I hope some of my recommendations help with food choices. Good luck

 

[ScottinVentura]

About the shoulder issues, my bird also likes to go for the shoulder. Don't make a huge deal about him going to the shoulder, he may like the response. But they say they feel dominent when they are above you.

Height dominance in birds is a myth. Birds seek high ground when they're nervous and unsure, to get away from whatever is making them nervous and unsure. It's their instinct. Reach for your bird when he's in that state, and yes, if he doesn't trust you completely, he'll nip. Not because he's feeling dominant, and certainly not just because he's higher up than you are, but because you're trying to bring him down, against his instinct. Do it often enough, and he'll learn that biting is a good way to get what he wants, whether he's up or down.

Learn to read your bird's body language before you stick your hand out. If Boo is upset about something, I calm him down with my voice before I reach for him. If he's completely in a state, I take a minute and stand next to his cage, reassuring him that he's safe and nothing is going to hurt him. When he willingly comes down off the top of his cage to get closer to me, that's when I pick him up, because that's when he's calm enough to be picked up.

I'll say it again - biting is not in a bird's vocabulary in the wild, it's a last ditch effort to protect himself from a predator. It can be learned, just like any other behavior, and your bird may have learned it, but it can be unlearned, too, and it's easier because it isn't natural for them.

 

[HRH Di]

Just a quick note on the feeding side of things...what cnyguy said about peas brought it to mind...all parrots forage. My birds, especially Max, enjoys his food more and eats more if he has to work for it. He has a foraging box in his cage and gets breakfast in it about 3x a week - he'd get it daily but the boxes are about $.50/each. I suspect that's one of the reasons that raw peas are so popular among parrots...they have to forage to get the peas out of the pods. Corn on the cob is also good, even if a little fattening, so it's best for an occassional treat. Max literally shreds them - cob and all - but he has a blast doing it.

There are all kinds of inexpensive things in most homes that can become foraging toys...unbleached coffee filters comes to mind. You can put food in them, the close them at the top (a needle with crochet cotton works well) and hang it in the cage - maybe poke a couple holes in the filter. Coffee filters are less than a penny each.

These will keep your little guy entertained and challenged during the day so he doesn't get bored.